Improvement in chairs and settees



J. A. S. SIMONSON. CHAIRS AND SETTEES.

Patented July 31,1977.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASNINGTOPL D c.

UNITED S'rn'rns Parana- Grrron.

JAOOB A. S. SIMONSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHABRS AND SETTEESQ Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. S 93,735, dated July 31, 1877 application filed May 1, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J AGOB A. S. Snvronson,of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have inventedan Improvement in Chairs or Settees, also applicable to use as aswinging cot, cradle, or sleeping-berth; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to reversible chairs or settees; and has for itsprincipal object the adaptation of such a chair or settee to use as aswinging cot or cradle, or sleeping-berth for steamboats, car-seats,&c., or for domestic use. It has, moreover, for its objects the securingof greater strength and durability in the construction of such chairs orsettees, and a noiseless action in reversing them or adjusting them foruse as a swinging cot, cradle, or sleeping-berth.

The invention consists partly in the combination, with a reversiblechair or settee com posed of two united parts, either of which may beused as a seat or a back, of united reversible arm-rests, which alsoserve as end pieces for the interchangeable and reversible united parts,forming a seat and back, suspending pivots arranged midwise in saidunited reversible arm-rests, and rests or stops, which help to supportthe reversible parts when in use.

The invention also consists in the combination, with the pivoted endpieces of a reversible chair or settee, and the end supports for thesame, of flanges formed on the said pieces, and which rest on the saidend supports for relieving the pivots from strain when the whole is usedfor a chair or settee.

The invention also consists in the combination, with the reversiblechair or settee, having recessed stops formed in or on its bottom, of acompound metal and rubber spring, which engages the stops to hold thereversible seat and back in position, as hereinafter described.

A chair constructed according to my invention difl'ers only in itslength from a settee. It will, therefore, be sufficient to describe asettee so constructed to fully illustrate my invention.

Figure l in the drawing represents an end view of a reversiblesetteeconstructed in ac cordance with my improvement, and adjusted for use asa settee. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same adjusted for use as vaswinging cot, cradle, or sleeping-berth. Fig. 3 is a front View of thesame adjusted for use as a settee. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on theline a: m in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side view of the compound spring whichfastens the settee when adjusted for use as a settee. Fig. 6 is avertical transverse section on the line y 3 in Fig. 5.

A and A represent, respectively, two similar interdependent conjoinedand coacting parts of a settee, either of which may be used as a seat oras the back of a settee, according as the said settee is adjusted in theposition said projection or swell forms a comfortable arm-rest.

The parts A A and end pieces B form one continuous structure, which ispivoted to the end supports 0 by pivots c passing through the upper partof the said end supports (1, and through the upper and middle part ofthe end pieces B, in such manner that the continuous structure A A B Bmay be centrically suspended from said pivots and adjusted in theposition shown in full outline in Fig. 2, for use as a swinging cot,cradle, or sleepingberth.

On or in some part of the under side of the structure A A B B, I formstops d d, preferably notches, in the middle curved cross-bar E, Figs. 3and 4; but recessed stops may be formed or attached at any other part ofthe under side when placed in proper relation with each other and thecompound spring F, Fig. 4, hereinafter described, and which engages oneor other of said stops to fasten the said structure A A B B in positionwhen used as a settee.

Said compound spring is shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6. It consists ofa flat base-plate, f, having the short vertical lugs g at its ends, andthe longer slotted vertical lugs h at the sides thereof. In the slots 2of the lugs h play vertically the pivots It of the elastic roller-spring1, said roller-spring being preferably made of india-rubber, or acomposition of the same. The said pivots are also fitted in holes formedin the U-shaped bearing m, Fig. 6, the base of which rests upon themetal spring a, which is preferably a bent platespring, placed convexside uppermost between the lugs h of the base-plate f, the ends of saidplate-spring resting on said base-plate and sliding on the same when inuse. The spring thus formed is placed in proper relation with the stops(1 d, and attached to a suitable support, (preferably a cross-bar, G,attached to the bar-rests H,) and engaging one or other of said stopsfastens to the reversible structure A A B B in position when used as asettee. Each of said bar-rests H performs two func tions, one of whichis the support of the outer edge of the part A or the part A, when saidparts are adjusted either in the position shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, orin that shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2. The other function is thebracing of the end supports G, and the said rests or stops H may consistof projections from the inner sides of the said end supports, or theymay be otherwise constructed and arranged to limit the turning of thepartsA A on the pivots 0, and support said parts in proper position tobe used as asettee.

Extending along the upper and outer border of the end pieces B is aflange, I, the under side of which is composed of two similar and equalcurves, having the same configuration as that of one-half of the uppermargin of the end supports 0. When the structure is adjusted for use asa settee, said flanges rest upon one side or the other of the tops ofsaid end supports,and support said end pieces and the attached parts A Aindependently of the pivots 0, relieving said pivots from strain whilethe said parts are so adjusted.

The rests H, of whatever form they may be, are preferably cushioned withrubber to prevent noise in reversing the parts A A.

The compound spring F, when engaged with either of the stops dd, holdsthe parts A A from too easily reversing, but not so firmly as to preventthe ready reversing of the same by slight exertion of the hand, and itsenfor Sunday-schools, as a short seat can be ar-.

ranged between long ones, and the short and long ones faced in oppositedirections, and

they make no disagreeable noise in reversing them. They are also welladapted to use in railway-cars and on steamboats, as they can readily beconverted into comfortable sleeping-berths.

In domestic use such a settee furnishes a useful cradle or bed forchildren.

Double reversible seats, having double reversible arm-rests, haveheretofore been in use, and transverse bearings or bars for supporting adouble reversible seat in either p osition to which it may be adjustedare also old; and, further, detents have been used for holding orlooking a reversible seat in its adjusted position, and such features Ido not broadly claim 5 but I claim- 1. The combination, with thereversible parts A A, each acting as a seat or a back, of the end piecesB, forming united reversible armrests, the suspending-pivots 0, arrangedmidwise in the said united arm-rests, and the rests or stops H, thewhole combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the pivoted end pieces B of the reversiblechair or settee, and the end supports 0, of the flanges I on the saidend pieces, for relieving the pivots from strain wheir'the whole isusedas a chair or settee, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the reversible seat and back AA, having in oron the bottom recessed stops d of the compound metal and rubber springF, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

' J. A. S. SIMON SON.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN W. HOFFMAN, FRED. HAYNES.

